Object Data Management Group
Encyclopedia
The Object Data Management Group (ODMG) was conceived in the summer of 1991 at a breakfast with object database
vendors that was organized by Rick Cattell of Sun Microsystems
. In 1998, the ODMG changed its name from the Object Database Management Group to reflect the expansion of its efforts to include specifications for both object database and object-relational mapping
products.
The primary goal of the ODMG was to put forward a set of specifications that allowed a developer to write portable
applications for object database and object-relational mapping products. In order to do that, the data schema, programming language binding
s, and data manipulation and query language
s needed to be portable.
Between 1993 and 2001, the ODMG published five revisions to its specification. The last revision was ODMG version 3.0, after which the group disbanded.
as a basis for the Java Data Objects
specification. The ODMG member companies then decided to concentrate their efforts on the Java Data Objects specification. As a result, the ODMG disbanded in 2001.
In 2004, the Object Management Group
(OMG) was granted the right to revise the ODMG 3.0 specification as an OMG specification by the copyright holder, Morgan Kaufmann Publishers. In February 2006, the OMG announced the formation of the Object Database Technology Working Group (ODBT WG) and plans to work on the 4th generation of an object database standard.
Object database
An object database is a database management system in which information is represented in the form of objects as used in object-oriented programming...
vendors that was organized by Rick Cattell of Sun Microsystems
Sun Microsystems
Sun Microsystems, Inc. was a company that sold :computers, computer components, :computer software, and :information technology services. Sun was founded on February 24, 1982...
. In 1998, the ODMG changed its name from the Object Database Management Group to reflect the expansion of its efforts to include specifications for both object database and object-relational mapping
Object-relational mapping
Object-relational mapping in computer software is a programming technique for converting data between incompatible type systems in object-oriented programming languages. This creates, in effect, a "virtual object database" that can be used from within the programming language...
products.
The primary goal of the ODMG was to put forward a set of specifications that allowed a developer to write portable
Portable
Portable may refer to:* Portable building, a manufactured structure that is built off site and moved in upon completion of site and utility work...
applications for object database and object-relational mapping products. In order to do that, the data schema, programming language binding
Language binding
In computing, a binding from a programming language to a library or OS service is an API providing that service in the language.Many software libraries are written in systems programming languages such as C or C++...
s, and data manipulation and query language
Query language
Query languages are computer languages used to make queries into databases and information systems.Broadly, query languages can be classified according to whether they are database query languages or information retrieval query languages...
s needed to be portable.
Between 1993 and 2001, the ODMG published five revisions to its specification. The last revision was ODMG version 3.0, after which the group disbanded.
Major components of the ODMG 3.0 specification
- Object Model. This was based on the Object Management GroupObject Management GroupObject Management Group is a consortium, originally aimed at setting standards for distributed object-oriented systems, and is now focused on modeling and model-based standards.- Overview :...
's Object Model. The OMG core model was designed to be a common denominator for object request brokers, object database systems, object programming languages, etc. The ODMG designed a profile by adding components to the OMG core object model. - Object Specification Languages. The ODMG Object Definition Language (ODLObject Definition LanguageObject Definition Language is the specification language defining the interface to object types conforming to the ODMG Object Model...
) was used to define the object types that conform to the ODMG Object Model. The ODMG Object Interchange Format (OIF) was used to dump and load the current state to or from a file or set of files. - Object Query Language (OQL). The ODMG OQL was a declarative (nonprocedural) language for query and updating. It used SQLSQLSQL is a programming language designed for managing data in relational database management systems ....
as a basis, where possible, though OQL supports more powerful object-oriented capabilities. - C++ Language Binding. This defined a C++C++C++ is a statically typed, free-form, multi-paradigm, compiled, general-purpose programming language. It is regarded as an intermediate-level language, as it comprises a combination of both high-level and low-level language features. It was developed by Bjarne Stroustrup starting in 1979 at Bell...
binding of the ODMG ODL and a C++ Object Manipulation Language (OML). The C++ ODL was expressed as a library that provides classes and functions to implement the concepts defined in the ODMG Object Model. The C++ OML syntax and semantics are those of standard C++ in the context of the standard class library. The C++ binding also provided a mechanism to invoke OQL. - Smalltalk Language Binding. This defined the mapping between the ODMG ODL and SmalltalkSmalltalkSmalltalk is an object-oriented, dynamically typed, reflective programming language. Smalltalk was created as the language to underpin the "new world" of computing exemplified by "human–computer symbiosis." It was designed and created in part for educational use, more so for constructionist...
, which was based on the OMG Smalltalk binding for the OMG Interface Definition Language (IDL). The Smalltalk binding also provided a mechanism to invoke OQL. - Java Language Binding. This defined the binding between the ODMG ODL and the Java programming languageJava (programming language)Java is a programming language originally developed by James Gosling at Sun Microsystems and released in 1995 as a core component of Sun Microsystems' Java platform. The language derives much of its syntax from C and C++ but has a simpler object model and fewer low-level facilities...
as defined by the Java 2 Platform. The Java binding also provided a mechanism to invoke OQL.
Status
ODMG 3.0 was published in book form in 2000. By 2001, most of the major object database and object-relational mapping vendors claimed conformance to the ODMG Java Language Binding. Compliance to the other components of the specification was mixed. In 2001, the ODMG Java Language Binding was submitted to the Java Community ProcessJava Community Process
The Java Community Process or JCP, established in 1998, is a formalized process that allows interested parties to get involved in the definition of future versions and features of the Java platform....
as a basis for the Java Data Objects
Java Data Objects
Java Data Objects is a specification of Java object persistence. One of its features is a transparency of the persistent services to the domain model. JDO persistent objects are ordinary Java programming language classes ; there's no requirement for them to implement certain interfaces or extend...
specification. The ODMG member companies then decided to concentrate their efforts on the Java Data Objects specification. As a result, the ODMG disbanded in 2001.
In 2004, the Object Management Group
Object Management Group
Object Management Group is a consortium, originally aimed at setting standards for distributed object-oriented systems, and is now focused on modeling and model-based standards.- Overview :...
(OMG) was granted the right to revise the ODMG 3.0 specification as an OMG specification by the copyright holder, Morgan Kaufmann Publishers. In February 2006, the OMG announced the formation of the Object Database Technology Working Group (ODBT WG) and plans to work on the 4th generation of an object database standard.
ODMG Compliant DBMS
- Orient ODBMS: http://www.OrienTechnologies.com
- Objectivity/DBObjectivity/DBObjectivity/DB is a commercial object database produced by Objectivity, Inc. It allows applications to make standard C++, Java, Python or Smalltalk objects persistent without having to convert the data objects into the rows and columns used by a relational database management system ....
C++, Java and Smalltalk interfaces.